medicinal teas – The HOL Dog

I was going to title this post “HOLy Basil, Batman!”, but somebody beat me to it. Oh, well.

Basil is worshipped in some cultures. They even call it HOLy. Because it’s a blooming miracle plant, that’s why!

It contains vitamins K, C, and A, and trace amounts of iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.

Whoopty-do. Lots of plants have vitamins & minerals.

But more than that, basil has been studied (like for real scientific studies) for its positive effects on bacteria, respiratory ailments, blood sugar levels, and the digestive tract. It has a low glycemic index, and is an antioxidant (reduces free radicals). There’s a gajillion articles on how awesome it is. Just fire up the Google, and you’ll see.

I’ve been making a medicinal tea with basil since the weather turned cold, and it is delicious.

Liquid. Gold.

Just bring a pot of water (2-4 cups) to a boil, remove it from heat, and add a 3-4 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves, cover and let it steep.

That’s it. Simple.

I let mine sit overnight so it’s good and strong. I keep it in a glass jar with a tight lid in the fridge.

Recently, I bought some dried peppermint, and I added it to my decoction in a steel mesh tea ball. It brings a refreshing note to the taste, but really, you’ll be surprised at how delightful the basil is all by itself. Drink it warm with a teaspoon of raw honey, and you are golden. (You will feel golden. You will feel like a Buddhist monk on a Tibetan hillside. Gong optional). It will soothe your spirit and calm your nerves. I love to drink it before bedtime.

It finally dawned on me that I needed to be sharing this gift of the gods with my dogs. Duh. In fact, Truman about knocked my mug from my hands to get at it. So, I added it to the breakfast rotation.

Simply pour it over whatever is in the bowl. I have also begun to mince a couple of basil leaves to sprinkle atop their morning meal, and both dogs are coo-coo for it. (Truman more than Pearl. She’s got more of a sweet tooth, but she still enjoys it).

I keep a basil plant in my kitchen in a glass of water, and it keeps us supplied.

Trust me. Ancient cultures were more selective in their choice of objects of worship than our modern-American, Kardashian-infused culture is. They didn’t waste their reverence on b*llsh*t like we do. (I’m just guessing. I like to think they were too busy to fool with nonsense. I could be wrong). But this could change your world.

pugs & kisses,

Talking about herbs, here.

I’ve been reading about them in my Natural Pet Care book.

Discussion of the healing & soothing powers of herbs harkens back to pre-modern times, when herbs were used instead of pharmaceuticals.

I’m very interested in the HOListic approach to healing. I’ve got a long way to go before I’m qualified to do anything of the sort.

My take-away from what I’ve read so far– how to make teas & tinctures, the differences between an infusion & a decoction, which herbs to use for what, how and when — is that there is A LOT to learn. I could dedicate an entire separate blog just to herbs.

One little useful nugget I’ll share involves the overuse of herbs. Apparently, you get the best results from using herbs to treat specific conditions over a limited period of time. If you take herbal supplements as a matter of course, and not to address anything in particular, you risk diminishing their effectiveness in those times when they’re truly needed.

Food for thought.

I’ve not tried herbs on my dogs yet. But the idea of making an infusion or a poultice to supplement treatment for a particular ailment appeals to me.

Have you tried it? Had any luck? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

pugs & kisses,